The movie “Fantastic Voyage” has actually been shown in a number of different variations since its original outing in the 1960s. The story is pretty much cut and dried and is bound to be entertaining but in reality it’s almost certainly going to be very close to its original model. The title of Fantastic Voyage makes it sound like the movie will be something far more than what it is, but the true plot of the film has to do with the inner workings of the human body and a mission to save a man’s life.
When a method of shrinking objects is discovered the technology obviously is seen as having boundless applications. Fortunately the creator has a conscience and attempts to flee his own government with the help of the USA. Unfortunately an assassination attempt manages to wound him and somehow render him comatose with a blood clot in his brain that could kill him at any time. The only solution to save him is to operate, but it will take something more than just cutting him open and removing the clot, as this could kill him as well.
That of course brings in the idea of shrinking a specially selected team to be shrunk so that they can navigate the inner workings of the scientist’s body and use a specially-designed laser to remove the blood clot. However the trick is that they only have one hour to get in, do what they have to do, and then get back out. If not they will revert to full size again, and of course you can imagine that this would tear the scientist, and possible the team, apart.
The team is shrunk along with a specially-fitted submarine so that they can make their way through the scientist’s body. They have to make a circuitous way around the inside of his body in order to reach his brain, but by the time they get there it’s discovered that there is a saboteur among them. While the rest of the team deals with the saboteur another one of them lases the blood clot, saving the scientist’s life, while the saboteur perishes when white blood cells attack their craft and destroy it. They end up having only six minutes left to exit the man’s body before reverting back to true size. Their escape is made through the man’s tear ducts and as they revert back they find that they’ve been successful.
As of now there’s a script and a start date, but not much else. The idea is still a sound one but it’s going to take something unique to really make it work for this time period. There’s no reason to doubt that Del Toro will make something out of it, particularly since he’s done so much to be impressed by in recent years. Hopefully one thing he will do better though is explain why the vessel that carried the individuals into the man’s body did not revert back to real size when time was up. Destroyed or not, it was bound by the same rules as the team.
